Journey without a guidebook

Let me start with one quetion: has any of you traveled in a foreign city, for the very first time in your life, of which you have no piece of knowledge whatsoever, and in which you absolutely know nobody - without any sinlge guidebook in your hands?

OK - I admit that I did travel in Mexico City and Turkey with guidebooks in my hands - and just like anybody else, I was busy everyday sightseeing this place and that place, because these are the places my guidebooks tell me as "must-see when you are in this town." Not to mention it was still indeed real interesting and exciting cultural experiences which I found myself enjoying so much - yet I felt that maybe I felt obliged to visit those places because that what's my guidebook says, and obliged to feel that I have to be entertaining myself for all the money and time I invested for this journey...

But now, here I am, in a city called Trier, a small yet the oldest town in western part of Germany without any guidebook in hands feeling great. All I was told about this city was "Sayaka, maybe you can visit there because it is pretty" a night before (yes - until this morning, I did not know where I should be heading to) and I am feeling superb ever - I am enjoying the real sense and joy of freedom, not only from all social norms my home country and society have imposed on me but also from whatever crap guidebook can say. Now I feel that I am in full control of where I visit and what I do, a commander general with full authority on how my journey should be. Or in a better expression, I can be a painter or an artist, and color my white map of journey (or life) as I wish.

The longer you travel, the more you know what you really need and what you do not. After travelling good two and a half months, this is what I discovered - guidebook is not neccesarily a necessity after all. I can still find my way out and my way in wherever I go. And whatever I find on the way, I would remember it - just because it was I who discovered it without help of outside sources. If you are in need of any information you can easily resort to tourist information desk or internet -yes, it is THAT easy. Then why bother carrying heavy, chunky guidebooks with you?

As you continue travelling, your luggage becomes lighter day by day and you become to feel yourself lighter and stress-free as you go - this is for sure in my own term one of the beauties about travelling resides and why I enjoy travelling.

Or am I being the one who is talking craps?